Make the Most of SUMMER

Brooking Park

BY stephanie wallace

Go On A Day Trip

Make the most of summer days by mixing things up with a day trip. St. Louis offers an endless amount of options—whether it’s hitting the Tower Grove’s Farmers Market or heading downtown for an afternoon at Gateway Arch National Park. If you want to do something really different and can handle a drive, head out of the metro. There are plenty of interesting places to visit that are under two hours away. History and literature lovers will want to check out Hannibal, Missouri, the boyhood home of Mark Twain. Wine connoisseurs can explore the wineries in Hermann and Ste. Genevieve. If you’re with the whole family, consider visiting Meramec Caverns or Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park to see some of the natural wonders of Missouri.

Get In The Garden

Gardening is a great way to spend the summer growing season—even if you don’t have the greenest of thumbs. It’s a hobby that has been shown to have some big benefits for older adults. It lowers stress and raises your serotonin levels. Some studies have even linked gardening to boosting heart and brain health, and it may lead to reduced risks of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Plus, if you put your efforts into growing fruits, vegetables or herbs, you can get some nutritious home-grown food out of it. If you’re worried about the physical strain of tending a garden, opt for containers or raised beds to reduce the toll it takes on your body. Planters also are a great option if you have limited outdoor space.

Botanical Garden is offered Wednesday evenings through Aug. 2. You can check out the University City Summer Band on Tuesdays in Herman Park, or head to Webster Groves for the Old Orchard Gazebo Music Concert Series on Fridays. Throw in Music Mondays at Citygarden and the Summer Concerts at Millennium Park on Thursdays, and you can look forward to a different concert every evening of the week—and that doesn’t even cover all of your options!

Join A Book Club

Whether you’re sitting on the patio or beating the heat by staying indoors, reading is a wonderful way to spend your time during the summer. Sharing that experience with others in a book club only makes it better. If you have a particular interest you want to explore, see if the library has a club that covers it. At the St. Louis County Library, you can find ones focused on mysteries, classics and even page-to-screen adaptations for cinephiles. The St. Louis Public Library offers Book Club in a Bag, an easy way to start your own discussion group. Available for check out for six weeks, each kit provides fifteen copies of the same book, discussion questions, some suggested titles and information about the author. Plus, there are more than 200 titles to choose from.

Hit The Pool

What’s summer without a visit to the pool? Water-based activities, such as swimming or water aerobics, are great for older adults, especially those with arthritis or stiff joints. The buoyancy of water gives you the benefits of a regular workout without the strain. And it’s not

St. Louis Queer+ Support Helpline

by stephanie wallace

PRIDE MONTH is a national celebration of diversity and acceptance, but the work of creating a supportive and inclusive community happens all year in St. Louis. The St. Louis Queer+ Support Helpline (SQSH) is dedicated to facilitating healing spaces and providing holistic support for the local LGBTQIA+ community. T&S s poke with co-founder and executive director Luka Cai to learn more about how SQSH is working to squash disparities and give all St. Louisans the chance to thrive.

Why did you decide to create SQSH?

I’m a trans immigrant from Singapore. I grew up around a lot of queer- and transphobia, so I didn’t receive a lot of support and understanding. When I moved to St. Louis in 2016, I wasn’t fully out of the closet, and I was dealing with internalized transphobia. The local queer and trans community really empowered me to feel more seen and accepted. I also learned a lot about community organizing and outreach, which made me want to get involved. The queer community faces so many disparities when it comes to issues like holistic and mental health care. SQSH started in 2019 as a grassroots movement to address these disparities and help the community thrive.

Starting in 2019, how did the pandemic impact the organization?

We pivoted to virtual and hybrid models, which we still use. It really spotlighted how so many queer people are already living in isolation. The LGBTQIA+ community is disproportionately impacted by disability, chronic illness and mobility issues. A lot of people were already experiencing quarantine before COVID-19. Accessibility and community health need to always be at the forefront of our work. As we grow, we really want to adapt to the needs we see in the community.

What type of programming do you offer?

Our flagship program is our peer support helpline. It provides free, confidential and identity-affirming peer support Friday to Monday from 1 to 7 p.m. We are not a crisis helpline or professional mental health service, but our goal is to prevent crises by helping people feel closer to the community. Our volunteer peer counselors undergo 60 hours of training every year, so callers can expect to feel safe and seen. We provide the opportunity to talk to someone with similar experiences in a supportive space. We also have our SQSHBook. It catalogs more than 1,200 resources in St. Louis that have been submitted by the community. It covers things like housing, food, health care, support groups and more.

What do you hope to achieve with SQSH moving forward?

Our dream is to maximize the potential of our programs. Rather than reinventing the wheel, we want to strengthen existing systems of community care. One of our goals is to hire more full-time staff, and we’d like to be able to have our helpline operate more often. We want to have more touch points in the community and work with providers so that somatic and mental health care is accessible and adaptive to St. Louisans of all backgrounds and identities. Hopefully, SQSH can continue growing in a sustainable trajectory.

How can people support SQSH?

Monetary and resource donations, such as masks, COVID-19 tests and air purifiers are always appreciated, and we can use help from volunteers. We also are launching our community anthology and manifesto. This is a project that we started in fall of 2022. We collected stories from members of the St. Louis queer community and crowdsourced photography, illustrations and other artwork. It even includes poetry, song lyrics, comics and a play excerpt. Everything has been compiled in a 100-page book, and we hope people will be blown away by the creations of queer St. Louisans. We really need everyone on board to create a St. Louis where everyone, regardless of gender or sexuality, can live with power, safety and abundance. It’s not just a queer issue, and it’s not something a single nonprofit can solve. &

PEDAL THE CAUSE margarita for a cause by bill barrett

Guests came to Ladue Taco to enjoy margaritas made using blender bikes, games and celebrity guests, including Andy Cohen, Julie Buck, Joe Buck, Chris Pronger and Chris Wideman. A portion of the proceeds benefited cancer research at Siteman Cancer Center and Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Executive director David Drier, Ladue Taco owner Jodi Allen

AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION go red for women luncheon by bill barrett

Go Red for Women is a comprehensive platform designed to increase women’s heart health awareness and serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women globally. At the luncheon, guests enjoyed refreshments, a live auction and survivors’ spotlight. Executive Jennifer Jaeger, event chair

COCA cocacabana: electric oasis

by bill barrett

COCA uses the power of the arts and education to build a vibrant St. Louis that is creative, connected and inclusive. A national leader in innovative arts education, the nonprofit provides meaningful arts experiences in its studios, gallery and theaters, as well as in schools, community centers and corporate settings. Guests enjoyed cocktails, student performances, dinner, silent and live auctions and music by Fat Pocket.

guests: President and CEO Indigo Sams; COCAcabana event co-chairs Elizabeth and Tyler Cain, Josh and Lydia Bledsoe, Colin and